PGA Championship 2022 LIVE: Leaderboard & reaction as Justin Thomas beats Will Zalatoris in playoff
All the action from the final day at Southern Hills as Mito Pereira takes a three-shot lead into round four
Justin Thomas overturned a record-equalling seven-shot deficit before beating Will Zalatoris in a play-off to win his second US PGA Championship following a dramatic climax at Southern Hills.
Chile’s Mito Pereira held a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole after seeing his birdie putt on the 17th stop agonisingly short of the hole, but pushed his drive into the creek and ran up a devastating double bogey.
That left Thomas and Zalatoris to contest a three-hole aggregate play-off and Thomas birdied the 13th and 17th and parred the 18th to lift the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time, having started the day seven shots off the lead.
That meant the former world number one equalled the biggest comeback in US PGA history, John Mahaffey coming from seven behind Tom Watson after 54 holes to defeat Watson and Jerry Pate in a play-off at Oakmont in 1978.
Thomas had holed from six feet on the par-five 13th to match the birdie Zalatoris had made after finding the green in two, but Zalatoris missed from eight feet for birdie on the 17th after Thomas had driven the green on the 302-yard par four to set up a two-putt birdie.
Zalatoris then could not hole his lengthy birdie putt on the 18th and Thomas safely two-putted for par to get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time following his 2017 win at Quail Hollow.
Follow all the reaction from an intriguing final day, below:
He might just do it
A drive of 318 yards on the 18th leaves Justin Thomas just 169 yards to the flag. The wind is with him as he sets the ball off with an eight iron. One bounces onto the green and a little roll leaves JT with around eight-10 feet left for a birdie.
If this goes in Thomas could win the tournament at (-6).
Drop shots all round!
Young misses and makes double bogey, he falls back to (-3) with two holes to go and Zalatoris makes bogey to join Fitzpatrick at four-under.
Justin Thomas is now out in second place on his own and is well positioned on the 18th fairway.
Young struggling at 16
Cameron Young is starting to feel the pressure that continues to mount out there. Over on the 16th green he has a long putt for par and leaves it well short of the hole. There’s about six or seven feet left and that putt is by no means safe.
Will Zalatoris is in a similar spot of bother. He gives his birdie putt a chance to drop but slides it past and faces a tricky return putt for par.
Thomas within one
A much needed birdie for Justin Thomas comes on 17 after he missed the chance for an eagle. Still, it’s a massive shot gained as he moves within one shot of the lead with just one hole to go. Can he birdie the 18th too?
Speaking of birdies
Take a bow Matty! Fitzpatrick shouldn’t have a hope of making birdie on 15 but it’s a perfect chip across the length of the green and the crowd erupts as the ball drops into the cup!
Mito Pereira follows him with a birdie putt but he pushes it to the right. That’s the pressure of trying to win the PGA Championship.
Slumped shoulders from Fitzpatrick
Matt Fitzpatrick spanks his drive on the 15th into the rough then slices his second over to the right of the green. He cuts a disappointed figure, shoulders slumped and trudging up to the ball. He’s only three behind the lead so a couple of birdies and he’s right back in the contest.
Drop shot from Pereira
Mito Pereira gives a shot back to the course on the par-3 14th. Not what he wanted after a birdie on the previous hole.
Luckily for him Cameron Young can’t capitalise with a birdie putt of his own on the 15th and he has to settle for par, still one behind the leader.
What a shot JT!
Justin Thomas finds the green side bunker on the 16th with his second shot and rules out the chance to record birdie. His sand play has been exceptional today and this shot is as good as any. He hits underneath the ball, takes a big chunk of sand and rolls it across the length of the green to within a foot for par.
Three under leads in the clubhouse
Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Kirk are both safely into the clubhouse with scores of (-3) for the tournemant. They are the two leaders in the clubhouse and will be keeping an eye on proceedings. There have been plenty of drop shots and there are plenty of holes still to play.
Under pressure
Cameron Young can’t hold his nerve on the 14th green and he drops a shot with a bogey five.
It’s a two shot swing as Mito Pereira eases the pressure with a solid birdie on the 13th. He had a putt for eagle that he rolled up to the hole for a gimme birdie.
Matt Fitzpatrick (-3) almost got himself back into the mix but his own birdie effort lips out of the hole.
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